


But Who's Counting?

by NeurotropicAgentX



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: 69 (Sex Position), Alcohol Is Consumed, Arguing, Asexuality, Bounty Hunters, Canon-Typical Violence, Grey Ace!Jango, Headcanon, M/M, Rare Pair, Reminiscing, Xeno
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-04
Updated: 2017-03-04
Packaged: 2018-09-28 06:21:47
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,201
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10076963
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NeurotropicAgentX/pseuds/NeurotropicAgentX
Summary: Jango runs into Cad Bane while celebrating the completion of his latest contract. They end up rehashing the old argument about who’s the better bounty hunter.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Huge thank you to my editor for all her invaluable assistance.

Jango stepped aside for a noghri before entering the cantina himself. This was one of the nicer places on Taut’ugaar and exactly the right venue for celebrating the completion of his latest contract. Taut’ugaar itself was a hub of criminal activity and the best place to find black market goods, mercenaries, or the kinds of fun policed in more… civilised places. 

Taut’ugaar was also the kind of place where Jango felt most at ease. The people knew the unspoken codes of conduct between different kinds of freelancers and those who didn’t soon learned, or quickly stopped being a problem. 

Jango didn’t get many looks as he made his way to the bar, even when he took off his helmet. He ordered dark Corellian ale, wishing there was a place here that sold proper Mando’ade drinks. You’d think a port with so many smugglers would have a decent selection, but he guessed there just wasn’t a market for it. Jango was about to find a table when a familiar voice called out to him.

‘Well if it isn’t the second-best bounty hunter in the Outer Rim. Still drinking that swill, Fett?’

Jango grinned before turning to address the speaker. ‘Envy’s an ugly emotion, Bane. The fact that you come in second best to me is still impressive. And for your information, this “swill” is the closest thing I can get to proper net’ra gal in backwaters like this.’

Bane signalled to a bartender droid, which brought over a half-full bottle of the Tevraki whiskey Bane was fond of. ‘Leave the bottle,’ said Bane, ‘and bring an extra glass.’

Jango picked up his helmet and wandered over, but he eyed the spirit with distaste. ‘Some of us prefer not to impair our reflexes.’

Bane snorted, the sound echoing oddly in his breath filters. ‘Maybe I’m just bringing myself down to your level. Evening the odds, a bit.’

Jango sighed as he sat and he took the glass the droid proffered. ‘I’m only letting myself get roped into this because I’m celebrating. You’re looking at the bounty hunter who brought in Laemmli Prikast for the Hutt contract.’

‘No fucking way! I’ve been looking for Prikast for _months_.’ 

Jango grinned, poured some whiskey into his glass and drained it. He held back the impulse to grimace at the astringent taste. ‘I guess that’s why I’m the best and you’re a sore loser.’

‘Where’d you find them anyway?’

‘That would be telling.’ 

Bane growled under his breath. ‘Lucky contacts, then. If I added up all my successes and you added up all yours, I’d come out on top.’

‘Nah. You do some better paying contracts, maybe, but my reputation’s more solid. I bet I get more closed contracts than you.’

‘Oh yeah, what’s on the table right now, then?’ Bane asked.

‘Military contract, very hush-hush. The Kaminoans want a template.’

Bane’s eyes widened in shock. He knew what that meant. ‘ _You_?’ Jango shrugged, his lips quirking in a smile. ‘Well that's hardly bounty-hunter work, is it?’ Bane pointed out.

‘I’m going to train ’em too. They wanted a real warrior to show them how it’s done. It’s a ten-year contract.’

Bane barked a laugh. ‘Ten _years_! And what, you’ll be sleeping in the same bed every night? Perfect certainty day-to-day? I didn’t know you wanted to _settle down_ , Fett. Fuck, you’ll be _employed_.’ He chuckled with a little more restraint this time and sipped his whiskey. ‘Never thought I’d see the day.’

Jango bristled. ‘There’ll still be time in between to do small gigs. Besides, it’ll pay better than whatever you’re pulling in.’

‘Oh yeah, the legal jobs _definitely_ pay more than what we do. Crime lords are know for their tight budgets.’

‘Then maybe it’s not just about the money.’

Bane narrowed his eyes. ‘Developed a patriotic streak for some backwater? No wait, please tell me the _Mandalorians_ aren’t commissioning a clone army.’

Jango sneered. ‘You know we wouldn’t be doing that. But maybe there’s an offer on the table that I can’t walk away from.’

Bane still looked sceptical. Jango wasn’t about to say anything more on the issue. He poured another measure of whiskey into his glass and took a small sip before changing the topic. ‘What we need, right, is an actual official ranking system. Then I could really show you that I’m better at this than you.’ Jango wasn’t drunk, per se, but he was feeling more impulsive than usual. If Bane tried to start a fight here, he’d probably go for it. 

‘With as much trash as you’re spouting, that one’s actually a good idea.’ Bane paused and drained the rest of his drink. ‘We could base it on filled contracts… maybe rank the difficulty by pay.’

Jango nodded along. ‘Adjusting for the source, though. The crime-lords pay better than the official governments, even for the same sorts of jobs.’

‘Yeah, it could even be useful. Maybe people’d pay more for the big names. You get a high official ranking, you trade on your reputation better.’

‘Younger up-and-comers would get a name doing the low-level stuff first. Fulfil a few open contracts, climb the ladder, get closed contracts once they’re trusted to do the job alone. Fuck, why hasn’t someone done this yet?’

Bane gave a soft laugh and poured himself another drink. ‘It’s work and you’d need big names to back the system. Every bounty hunter that matters would need to be game.’

‘Big names like us?’ Jango pointed out.

‘Yeah, like us,’ Bane repeated. ‘If I still remember this conversation tomorrow, I’m going to start this.’

One side of Jango’s mouth tilted up in a smirk. ‘I know you’re not that drunk, Bane. You like to make a show, but I know you wouldn’t really impair yourself. Especially not while I’m around.’

Bane narrowed his eyes and he smiled just wide enough to display a hint of teeth. ‘Whatever else I’ll say about you, Fett, you’re not an idiot.’

‘What I don’t get,’ Jango continued as if Bane hadn’t spoken, ‘is why you’re playing it up. Are you looking for an excuse? Maybe you want to start something?’ he added, tilting his head to one side.

‘Maybe,’ Bane conceded. It was hard to follow the gaze of his pupil-less eyes, but Jango was pretty sure he was on the receiving end of a once-over. Huh. He’d been expecting a fight. This was much more promising.

Jango ran a hand through his hair and leaned forward. ‘You don’t need an excuse with me. I’m here… celebrating, after all.’

Bane looked genuinely surprised for a moment, but he hid it quickly. ‘You sure about that? I was thinking you’d be looking for someone more human-basic to “celebrate” with.’

Jango grimaced. ‘I’m no specieist.’

Bane leaned back. ‘I know that. Not many bounty hunters can afford to be. But with celebrating, and _attraction_ , that’s another thing usually.’

It took Jango a moment to get what Bane was hinting at. Attraction had never made much sense to him. One species or another, it was all the same. Sex was fun, but aside from picking someone who wasn’t going to stab him in the back, it hardly mattered what they _looked_ like. He’d eventually learned that it was different for most people, maybe even for someone like Bane. 

‘Yeah, I don’t care what you look like. I can’t even tell if you’re good-looking.’ Jango lifted his glass and smirked. 

Bane snorted. ‘You sure you even want to bother, then?’ he asked. His tone was mocking, but there was an edge beneath his words.

Jango rolled his eyes. ‘Yes. I want to bother because sex feels good and I can’t get my mouth on my own dick.’

The tension in Bane’s demeanour eased and he grinned, bright and dangerous. ‘And what makes you think you’re going to get _my_ mouth on your dick?’

That was more like it. ‘I can think of a couple of ways to incentivise you,’ Jango said, leaning in even closer. 

‘Big words, Fett. I think I’d be interested in seeing if that reputation for “creative problem solving” is deserved or not.’

Jango barked a laugh. ‘How about this, we put our mouths on each other’s junk?’

Bane smirked. ‘At once? You trying to turn this in to some sort of competition.’

Jango bit back a smile. He really wasn’t. For one thing the playing-field was hardly fair. It was a lot more difficult for people to get him off, so Jango would have an advantage there. ‘Do you _want_ this to be a competition?’ he asked, raising an eyebrow.

Bane shrugged. ‘Could be fun.’ 

‘Your ship or mine?’ Jango asked.

‘How about neutral territory? My ship’s being refitted at the moment and I have a room here.’

/// 

The room Bane had chosen was a nice balance between austerity and comfort. There wasn’t much furniture, just the bed and a desk, and the side-room ’fresher was pretty tiny. However, the bed was huge – exactly the opposite of the space-conserving bunks you got on a ship. There was also a display screen on one wall with an image of some plants and a bowl of fruit. 

Jango put his helmet on the desk and stripped off his gauntlets. He looked around some more, noting how Bane hadn’t spread his belongings around the room. There was a bag at the foot of the bed, probably containing a change of clothes and weaponry. Easy to grab if he had to get out of here fast. For a moment Jango tried to wrap his head around having a room of his own on Kamino where he could lay out his belongings. Maybe he’d hang up a display screen with a pretty landscape on it. The image was so bizarre he almost laughed. 

Bane gave him a funny look when he turned around. ‘There a problem?’

‘No. Just thinking.’

‘I could see how that would be a problem for you.’

Jango gave Bane a flat look and stepped close enough to flick his hat off. Bane didn’t try and stop him, but his stance went from relaxed to combat-ready. Jango decided it was probably unconscious because he was doing the exact same thing. Old habits.

Jango swept his gaze up Bane’s body and settled on his face. He hesitated, eyeing Bane’s mouth. He liked kissing, sometimes more than the sex itself, but bounty hunters could be weird about it, especially if it was clear this was a one-night stand.

Bane flashed his teeth in a brief smile. ‘It’s fine, Fett. Nothing short of deliberate action’s going to mess with the tubes,’ he said, leaning forward and staring right back.

An invitation like that was pretty hard to resist. Jango put a hand on Bane’s shoulder and pressed their lips together. Bane’s teeth grazed light and easy against Jango’s lower lip. His teeth were sharp, but he was careful and had the control to stop short of piercing skin. The threat was nice though, and Jango swiped his tongue in a laze stroke across Bane’s teeth, feeling the points.

Bane grabbed at Jango’s armoured hips, pulling him in until they were pressed together. Armour and belt-clips clanked off each other and Bane made a frustrated sound. He stepped back and started removing his holsters. Jango took the hint and undid the clasps securing his belt and the major armour plates. He was quick and went over to stack the bigger plates beside the desk. Bane had crouched down and was shoving his weapons, belts and armour into the bag at the end of his bed. Soon they were both down to thin cloth and completely unarmed. 

For people like them, this was a bigger step toward nudity than simply baring skin. The tension in the room thickened. Bane straightened up from his crouch. One of his fists clenched and relaxed by his side. Jango’s breath quickened and he felt his heart beat faster. He stepped toward the bed. Bane moved at the same time, circling from the foot of the bed until he was standing in front of Jango.

They kissed again, this time with more teeth. Bane’s hands slid beneath Jango’s undershirt, his nails pricking lightly. Jango pressed closer in response and grabbed Bane’s ass. It earned him a low grunt from Bane, who dug his blunt nails in harder. 

Jango hooked a leg behind Bane’s ankle to tip them both into bed. Bane let himself be tripped, but he twisted around as they fell so he landed on top. It turned into a free-for-all grapple, both of them tugging at each other’s shirts. The aggression stayed this side of friendly, even when Bane managed to get Jango’s shirt off first and leaned forward to bite at his nipple. Jango swore and clutched at Bane’s smooth head, holding him there. A bit of pain was good and Jango’s body often responded better to that than light touches.

Not to be outdone, Jango slid a hand down Bane’s back and yanked his shirt up and off too. With Bane distracted, Jango flipped them, managing to get on top, straddling Bane’s hips. He dragged his hands down Bane’s narrow chest and rolled his hips in Bane’s lap. Bane arched up in response and clawed at his waist. There was only a couple of thin layers of cloth separating their junk, but even that felt like too much. 

Jango rose to his knees and tugged his pants down. ‘You might want to do the same,’ he said, raising an eyebrow at Bane.

‘Maybe if you get off my legs, I will.’

Jango swung his leg to get off Bane’s lap and awkwardly got his pants down over his knees. There was no way to finish this gracefully, so he settled for fast instead. Bane’s pants were halfway off when Jango turned back. He tilted his head and let his gaze roam over Bane’s thighs and junk. What he saw was interesting and a bit unexpected. Instead of human-standard junk, Bane had a collection of around half a dozen slender tendrils the same colour as his skin. They had a slight sheen of fluid and waved slowly between his thighs.

Once Bane had finished pulling his pants off, Jango shifted forward. ‘Huh,’ he said, weaving his fingers through Bane’s junk and squeezing lightly.

The tendrils twined around Jango’s fingers and Bane’s hips twitched upward. The noise he made was gratifying. ‘Got a problem there?’ Bane asked when he’d caught his breath, his tone _just_ missing casual and unconcerned.

‘No problem. Just wondering if you’re part chiss.’

Bane rose up on his elbows and narrowed his eyes at Jango. ‘Keep your voice down,’ he hissed. ‘And how the fuck do you know what chiss have?’

Jango raised an eyebrow. ‘I don’t discuss past hook-ups.’ Bane’s expression remained tight with aggression. Jango tilted his head down. ‘Which means I won’t gossip about you either,’ he pointed out.

Bane grunted, though the tension in his shoulders eased a bit. ‘Yeah, well you better keep it to yourself. People get weird about dealing with a half-breed chiss. I’m duros anyway. Never even _been_ to the Ascendancy.’

‘Whatever,’ said Jango, shrugging. ‘I only wanted to know if this would work.’ He backed up the statement with another light squeeze of his hand, before drawing his fingers up, making sure the tips of Bane’s junk slid between the webs of his fingers.

Bane swore and his head thudded back against the mattress. ‘Get down here,’ he snarled and grabbed at Jango’s hips. They were pressed against each other, Jango’s half-hard cock flush against Bane’s writhing tendrils. It was great, especially when a couple of them wrapped around Jango’s shaft and squeezed. He was pretty sure Bane didn’t have any control over the way his junk moved, but he wasn’t completely certain.

Jango moved his hips against Bane and felt the tendrils around him flex and tug. Bane’s eyes were narrowed, like he was reluctant to shut them entirely. The tension in his jaw and the choked sounds of pleasure made it more than clear how much he was enjoying this. It was a good look on him. The pleasure built slower for Jango. He still wasn’t fully hard, but the grip and slide of Bane’s junk against his was getting him there. 

Without warning, Bane tensed and tried rolling them to get back on top. Jango moved with him, but used the momentum to flip over again. Bane’s arm thudded against the mattress and he pushed back to stop the roll. They ended up in a graceless sprawl on their sides, facing each other. The bed was just big enough that they hadn’t ended up on the floor, but Bane’s back was right against the edge of the mattress. 

‘You could have just asked,’ Jango pointed out.

‘And would you have just rolled over if I asked?’

‘Nah. But you could have tried at least.’

Bane glared. ‘Very funny. But seeing as neither of us are looking to get pinned down, maybe we could stay like this. If you shoved over, of course.’

‘We could,’ Jango agreed equably, ‘but I’d still like to get your mouth on me. I’m willing to return the favour.’

Bane grunted. He seemed a little surprised. ‘We could do that. You’d still have to shove over.’

Jango grinned and shifted back across the mattress to make more space. Bane moved up before twisting around to get his head level with Jango’s cock. There was a vulnerability in having someone else’s teeth that close to his junk, but the reciprocity mitigated it. It wasn’t that Jango didn’t trust Bane not to try anything stupid. He wouldn’t be fucking Bane at all if he thought he had to watch his back, but try telling that to his carefully honed instincts.

Jango’s hips twitched forward as Bane ran a hand up his cock and licked at the tip. He made a contemplative noise and wrapped his hand more firmly around the base of Jango’s cock. The pressure was good, but Jango didn’t let himself get distracted. He propped himself up on one elbow and grabbed Bane’s hip with his free hand, drawing him close. Then he buried his face in Bane’s junk and licked the skin at the base of his tendrils.

Bane made a choked sound from between Jango’s legs and the hand around his cock tightened. A couple of tendrils slid against Jango’s lips and he sucked them into his mouth without a second thought. The taste certainly wasn’t human, but it wasn’t unpleasant either. There was less fluid than Jango had been expecting too. The basic tricks seemed to work though, and when he pressed the tendrils between his tongue and the roof of his mouth Bane shivered. 

To Bane’s credit, he managed to keep up the steady pressure and a decent rhythm even while he shook. Jango moaned into Bane’s junk when he felt a tongue stroking around the head of his cock. He redoubled his efforts, sliding his hand down from Bane’s hip and tangling with the tendrils that weren’t in his mouth. Jango squeezed them gently, tensing and relaxing his fingers. 

Bane’s rhythm faltered at that and Jango smirked around his mouthful, sucking harder and then rubbing his fingertips against the skin between Bane’s legs. It earned him a muffled sound of desperation and Jango worked his tongue against Bane’s tendrils, rubbing them harder against the roof of his mouth.

Bane pulled away from Jango’s cock to curse and a heartbeat later his body tensed as he came. He made a very interesting noise in the back of his throat as his fluid leaked into Jango’s mouth. Jango swallowed what he could and moved his hand back to Bane’s hip to keep him still. He caught a glimpse of Bane’s face out of the corner of his eye. His eyes were screwed shut and the expression looked almost pained.

Jango drew back once he was sure Bane was done and raised an eyebrow.

Bane scowled at him, but any attempt at intimidation was ruined by the way he was panting. ‘You close?’ Bane asked when he got his breath back.

Jango grinned and shrugged as best as he could on his side. ‘Pretty close.’

Bane glared at him. ‘Get on your back. I’m going to finish this properly.’

Deciding it was in his best interest not to make it difficult, Jango rolled onto his back. Bane moved down the bed and got between Jango’s legs. He wrapped a hand around Jango’s cock again and started sucking again. When he wasn’t distracted, Bane was impressively single-minded. His tongue played over Jango’s slit, without losing the rhythm, and there wasn’t a hint of teeth.

Jango cupped the back of Bane’s head. It earned him an irritated noise, but when it became clear that he wasn’t trying to direct Bane’s pace, he was just ignored. The pleasure built slowly, the way it usually did for Jango. There was never any urgency to it until the very last moment. Jango tapped against the back of Bane’s skull as he approached the edge. 

‘I’m there,’ he rasped in warning.

Bane made another sound and pulled back. His hand kept moving over Jango’s cock, but his eyes were fixed on Jango’s face, taking in every detail. Jango’s eyes slid shut as he came and his hips rose off the bed so he could keep fucking Bane’s hand. Bane drew it out and Jango groaned. His cock didn’t get over-sensitive very quickly and the extra friction was more than welcome.

Jango collapsed back against the mattress and opened his eyes just in time to see Bane wipe his hand against a corner of the bedcovers. Jango snorted. ‘There’re probably towels in the ’fresher.’ 

Bane shrugged. ‘It’s what flophouse sheets are _for_ ,’ he said.

Jango rolled over and grabbed a different sheet corner to wipe himself off. ‘Well, it’s your room.’

Bane crawled up the bed so he could lie on a pillow. He gave Jango a speculative look. ‘I’m a little surprised. Looks like that reputation for being calm under pressure’s earned. You should _not_ have been that focused when I did that with my tongue.’

Jango chuckled. ‘I don’t get distracted by sexy people and I don’t get distracted by sex.’

Bane stared at him for a moment before slapping his shoulder. It was a friendly hit. ‘Well, I walked into that one. And you let me,’ he added with a glare.

Jango shrugged. ‘Don’t get me wrong, I _liked_ that thing with your tongue. Very nice.’

‘ _Nice_? Your flattery needs work, Fett,’ Bane replied, but he was smiling. Jango chuckled. Bane glanced around the room for a moment before shooting Jango an assessing look. ‘You can stay the night if you want to get off your ship for a while. Pretty sure a Mandalorian like you wouldn’t knife a guy in his sleep.’

Jango rolled his eyes. ‘I’m going to take that as a compliment.’ He hid it, but he was surprised at Bane’s offer. Having another warm body in bed was a luxury he seldom got to indulge. ‘And if _you_ knifed me in my sleep you’d never find out who’s the better bounty hunter.’ 

‘Ha! I’d want to keep you alive so you’d get to see your name in second place when we get a system up and running.’

///

In the end most of the work was about setting up the bounty hunter ranking system on the same channels as the illicit contracts. A couple of the big crime lords actually offered to host the feed for free, realising it was in their own best interest to have an official pay-scale. The better bounty hunters followed Bane and Jango’s lead and that drew in the lesser names pretty quick.

In the early stages, Bane and Jango’s names cycled between first and second place as they fulfilled contracts and recorded the details. But within a year it had settled down with Bane’s name firmly at the top, with only the occasional contract from Jango showing up. 

Bane smiled as he review the statistics on his datapad. Must be that Kamino gig that Jango had talked about. It was eating up enough of his time that he just couldn’t compete. Beating him at his peak would have been nice, but it was Jango’s own decision that had led to his poor performance in the rankings, so it still counted. 

///

Bane frowned as he accessed the bounty hunter ladder records. Keeping up to date had quickly become a habit and it let him keep tabs on the up-and-comers. No one had ever been in spitting distance of first and second place though. He and Fett were in a class of their own. 

Speaking of which… the fuck had Fett’s name gone? He’d never slipped below second, even while the Kaminoans kept him busy. How’d he drop so suddenly? Bane scanned the names with an increasing sense of suspicion. After leaving the top-ten page he flipped to the other set of records that they’d established all those years ago. There was Fett’s name. 

Top of the list. 

Dead. 

No wonder his score hadn’t been going up in the last couple of months. 

Bane swirled the drink in his glass and sighed, the sound amplified through his filters. Bounty hunters didn’t get old. Fett’s death was as inevitable as crime and people trying to screw you out of your pay. 

Still. 

Bane poured a measure of his drink on the ground, watching as a cleaning droid floated over to fix it. He drained the rest of his glass and gave a silent toast in the privacy of his own head. To Fett, a worthy challenge, a good lay, and the second best bounty hunter in the Outer Rim.

The droid asked if he’d like a top up. He assented and got it to leave the bottle. He was in the mood to make it a long night.

///

The first time Bane came up against one of the Republic’s troopers without the helmet, he hesitated. It was like seeing a ghost. Fett’s face, way younger than it had any right to be, stared back at him. The clone was scared, the fear twisting his face into an expression that looked odd on Fett’s features. 

Even with the uncertainty, Bane still recovered quickly enough to shoot. It wasn’t like he’d never killed one before. Of course, it was easier shooting the ones in full armour, even if the design was clearly Mandalorian-inspired. 

Bane holstered his blasters and put some distance between him and the Jedi patrol. His target had run off in the opposite direction. Encountering a Jedi and a group of their soldiers had been plain bad luck. Hopefully they weren’t after the same rodian fugitive as him. He ran at a steady pace, keeping his ears trained for any sounds of pursuit. It sounded like he’d lost them.

The Republic had this amateur habit of shooting at any bounty hunters who’d worked against them in the past. Even the lowest ranking hunters knew that you didn’t hold a grudge. Fett had certainly understood it and he’d been a Mandalorian, unable to completely shake all those “honourable” ideals.

His target had left a clear path through the underbrush. Even without the trail, they were making enough noise that he could have tracked them with his eyes shut. The trees thinned and Bane jogged into a clearing. A blaster bolt hit a tree off to his left. Bane dived for cover just as a second bolt ripped through more foliage.

He got behind a tree and drew his own blaster, before peering around the trunk to locate the shooter. His target was standing the middle of the clearing and wasn’t even _attempting_ to take cover. It was suicidal. It did mean the rodian had had a perfect line of sight, but they were too poor a shot to even make it count. _Save me from amateurs,_ Bane thought.

He leaned around his tree and made one careful shot. The bolt ripped through the rodian’s knee and they dropped their weapon to clutch at the wound. Bane’s lip curled in contempt as he broke cover to secure his target. Once he’d snapped the shock-cuffs on them, any remaining trace of aggression fled. Bane tuned out the begging and offers of better pay automatically. The reputation was worth more than a one-time bonus and the Separatists paid pretty well anyway.

After dropping the rodian off to his contact, Bane got back to his ship, and checked the ranking system reflexively. The ladder had already updated as soon as the contract was pulled from the public channels with Bane’s name under the ‘completed’ section. The score boost was always nice, even if he hadn’t had any real competition for a while now. The next closest name was a full thirty points beneath him, locked in a heated battle between the third- and fourth-placers. 

Still, the title got him more closed contracts and better pay. It even got him respect, as low-rank fodder preferred to step gracefully out of his way rather than risk tangling with him. Besides, each contract was its own challenge and he didn't need to be competing with some jumped-up Mandalorian to enjoy the work.

///

Bane checked his ranking after fulfilling a difficult Imperial contract. They didn’t pay as well as the crime-lords, but they didn’t try and screw you over when it was time to settle the fee, either. They sometimes even offered bonuses for timely completion, which was something Bane excelled at.

He opened the records on his datapad and for a moment his heart froze. Fett’s name was at the top of the list. He snarled, wondering what asshole hacker had the fucked-up sense of humour. Then he noticed the first name: ‘Boba’. He scowled and opened up the attached bio. It was like looking at a ghost, or maybe a clone trooper. Except the face was younger than it had any right to be, considering that even the youngest Kaminoan clones looked like they were in their fifties with the accelerated aging. 

Bane scanned the list of accomplishments, his eyes widening as he recognised some of the completed contracts. These weren’t easy gigs. Jabba’s contracts in particular had a reputation for high-risk high-reward and this kid had completed dozens. 

A thought crept up on Bane while he read. You didn’t hold the top-rank title for so long without being smart, and Bane could put two and two together. Especially considering what he knew about Jango’s… history.

‘Who’d have thought _you’d_ want a kid,’ he muttered to himself. This must have been the offer that Kamino had made him. Boba Fett’s bio-pic could have been Jango’s. They looked _identical_. 

Bane leaned back in his chair and rubbed his chin. Then he saved the details for the two current highest-paying contracts. Before, he’d been planning to sit on the earnings from the Imperial contract, now he looked forward to reclaiming his rightful title. If he ended up showing a certain Mandalorian upstart a thing or two about _real_ bounty hunting, well, that was just business.


End file.
